


Temporary Normalcy

by LunarExo



Category: Octopath Traveler (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2018-12-16
Packaged: 2019-09-19 21:39:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17009697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunarExo/pseuds/LunarExo
Summary: Cyrus’ office was a welcome reprieve from the isolating loneliness of the outdoors. Where outside felt vast and cold and indifferent, Therion felt the space in his mind close up like a vacuum, his worries sucked away as he toed open the office door, sneaking in.





	Temporary Normalcy

The sky darkened earlier now. Therion should have appreciated it—the dark made his work easier, made people tuck away in their homes and stop loitering in dark alleyways in favour of brightly lit streets. But it just made him melancholy, walking along the already abandoned campus Cyrus worked at. Thousands of students attended, but somehow he only saw five as he made his way down a paved path, a hot coffee tucked into each hand. 

If the early dusk made him moody, it seemed to make Cyrus downright miserable. This felt like the least he could do, trekking through this miserable, hollow, lifeless imitation of a community for him. He knew he had an excess of work to do, perhaps coffee and company would help. 

Cyrus’ office was a welcome reprieve from the isolating loneliness of the outdoors. Where outside felt vast and cold and indifferent, Therion felt the space in his mind close up like a vacuum, his worries sucked away as he toed open the office door, sneaking in. 

The room itself was dark, lit only by the soft orange glow of Cyrus’ reading lamp and the harsher blue glow of his computer screen. (Cyrus, of course, being the health-conscious man he was, used an orange light program, but the light remained harsh all the same, if a little softer around the edges.) Soft piano music played off a Bluetooth speaker shaped like a rabbit’s head, and a blanket was draped over his shoulders.

That the scene alone could render Therion’s heart full was a testament to how hard he’d fallen for this simple domesticity. Perhaps past him would be embarrassed to see him so doe-eyed, but he didn’t mind. 

Cyrus must not have noticed his entrance, because he jumped when Therion placed the coffee on the table, leaning down to kiss his cheek. He had a pretty bad five o’ clock shadow going, his fingers rubbing at the stubble affectionately as Cyrus turned to give him his full attention. “This is a surprise. I didn’t know I’d see you today.”

‘I missed you, I wanted to see you so much it hurt,’ he thought, but swallowed down the sentiment before it could bubble out of his mouth. “You sounded tired last night. Figured if you’re doing the same thing tonight, you’d need a pick-me-up.”

Cyrus’ smile turned softer, his hands warm when they came to cup Therion’s cheeks and pull him into a slow kiss. He rubbed their noses together when they parted, so sweet and casual Therion’s knees quaked. “If I’d known cheap coffee would be this popular I’d do it more often,” he deadpanned, feigning casual disinterest. 

“I suppose we can pretend it’s the coffee I’m happy to see,” there was a twinkle of mischief in Cyrus’ eye, slight dread pooling in Therion’s stomach before he even continued, “that’s why I kissed the coffee cup, right Therion?”

“You’re an idiot and I’m not going to visit anymore. I definitely won’t bring you food and drink.” Smartass. Cyrus only laughed at him and his half-baked threat, pressing kiss after kiss to his face until a smile spread across his lips again, hands shoving at his boyfriend’s face so he could speak. “How much longer are you going to work?”

“An hour. Two at the most. You’re welcome to stay, if you want to get dinner afterwards.” A domestic dinner date after a day of work. It was so normal it _hurt_ , some small, persistent part of Therion convinced it was all an elaborate ploy. Maybe Darius had hired Cyrus as an actor to fuck with him. His only reprieve was knowing full well that nobody could have pinned Cyrus as his type—not even Therion himself—until they were already sucking face in the alley way of some shitty, overpriced bar.

Sometimes, he couldn’t believe it. The life he’d carved out for himself following Darius had seemed so inescapable, so permanent. To think he’d managed to trade it in for such an easy life… It was no wonder he was nervous. His borrowed time, his borrowed _freedom_ would run out eventually. What he’d do then was uncertain.

His face must have grown distant with thought, because Cyrus’ hands settled surely on both his cheeks without his noticing. He blinked back to the moment, breathing out slowly as he came back to himself. They stared at each other, silent assurances passing between them, an unspoken, ‘you can leave anytime,’ a silent, ‘I want to stay,’ because he did, because if he worried so hard about the future he’d miss these quiet, perfect moments. And then Cyrus kissed him. Gentle, at first, but when Therion tangled his hands into thick hair it grew deep enough to wipe all thoughts from his mind, Cyrus licking into his mouth with such confident thoroughness that his worries melted away.

They were both panting when they parted, Cyrus stealing another kiss to the corner of Therion’s lips. “There’s this new ramen bar that opened on the south side I’ve heard fantastic reviews about. What do you say?” His thumb stroked along the curve of Therion’s cheek, voice barely a whisper. Therion had half a mind to pin him to his office chair and make him forget about work and ramen altogether. 

Instead, he untangled his hands from Cyrus’ hair, admiring him for a moment. Even as unkempt as he was, he was handsome. Not that he’d say so, not when his ego was already so big. Therion pulled away completely, flopping unceremoniously on his shitty office couch, nabbing Cyrus’ coat to use as a pillow. Before Cyrus could even begin to repeat his question, he waved a hand dismissively “Just wake me when you wanna go. You know I’d eat from a dumpster, whatever is fine.”

The dark still wasn’t all that pleasant, but in the quiet sanctuary of Cyrus’ cramped office Therion felt less drained by it. His eyes closed as he enjoyed the familiar sounds of his boyfriend working, tapping at his keyboard only to hum and hmm and sigh in thought. He didn’t even notice himself doze off properly, nose buried in his makeshift pillow.

(He’d see the picture Cyrus took later, when he borrowed his phone to get directions and instead saw the photo of himself set as his lock screen, his nose buried in Cyrus’ coat, eyes smoothed over with sleep. Cyrus wouldn’t even have the decency to look embarrassed about it, the bastard, but Therion knew he wasn’t really all that bothered by it anyway. Not if it was him. )

**Author's Note:**

> part of a modern au i've been hashing out with [ellen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mismoree/)! also i felt bad having all these unposted fics so im sharing something while i work on other projects :^)


End file.
